Device with adjustable bodies of rotation as conveying and guiding elements



Filed May 20, 1966 DEVICE WITH ADJUSTABLE BODIES OF ROTATION Nov. 12, 1968 FLESSNER 3,410,149

AS CONVEYING AND GUIDING ELEMENTS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.1

H \QQ/ J0 venfor GEROLD FLEIss ER BY w HTTO ME Y3 Nov. 12, 1968 G. FLEISSNER DEVICE WITH ADJUSTABLE BODIES OF ROTATION AS CONVEYING AND GUIDING ELEMENTS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 20, 1966 Inventor:

6 /201 ID FLE/J'jp//Z Ari-waving United States Patent 3,410,149 DEVICE WITH ADJUSTABLE BODIES 0F R0- TATIGN AS CONVEYING AND GUIDING ELEMENTS Gerald Fleissner, Egelsbach, near Frankfurt am Main, Germany, assignor to Anstait fiir Patentdienst, Vaduz, Liechtenstein Filed May 20, 1966, Ser. No. 551,723 Claims priority, application Germany, May 24, 1965, A 49,295 19 Claims. (Cl. 74-411) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An apparatus for conveying textile materials under tension or tensionless comprising rotating conveying means disposed one behind the other, drive means for driving said rotating conveying means, and a connecting means operatively connected between said conveying means and the drive means for transferring the moment of rotation from said drive means to the conveying means, said connecting mean comprising a gear box containing a drive shaft, sleeve means coaxially disposed around at least a portion of said drive shaft and rotatable to a limited extent relative thereto, a force transmitting means secured to the sleeve means and a resilient force accumulator means secured to the sleeve means, said sleeve means transmitting the force from the force-transmitting means to the resilient force accumulator means, and lever means secured at one of its end portions to the drive shaft and communicating with the resilient force accumulator means at its other end portion, said resilient force accumulator means transmitting the force to the drive shaft via said lever means.

The present invention relates to a device with several bodies of rotation which are arranged one behind the other and which individually are infinitely adjustable as to the respective speeds thereof and driven, preferably drums or rollers as conveying and guiding elements for the treatment of various materials, for instance, for drying synthetic filament groups which optionally are treated either under tensile stress or tensionless and the length of which changes preferably during the treatment.

Devices are known in the prior art in which, e.g., for drying textile material, the textile material is transported through a drying chamber on drums or rollers. It has been found that when drying textile material and also when drying other materials, the length of the material changes during drying. In general, the textile material shrinks during drying. Also, with a wet treatment in a treatment bath, shrinkage can be observed, especially with synthetic filament groups. The degree of shrinkage varies with the individual textile materials and depends also on the treatment, for instance, on the treatment temperature. The degree of shrinkage of the individual materials cannot be predicted accurately before the treatment; in general, it can only be estimated. In the case of the known devices, it is not possible to determine the degree of shrinkage between the individual conveying elements.

Depending on the type of material to be treated, either complete shrinkage during the treatment is desirable or shrinkage is to be avoided. In the case of other materials even stretching of the material during the treatment may be desirable. Whereas stretching of the material may be obtained by a lead of the subsequent drum, i.e., the subsequent drum rotates at a higher speed than the preceding one, up to now it has not been possible to guide the material in an extended condition tensionless over bodies of ice rotation which serve as conveying and guiding elements. Shrinkage of the material can only be estimated and accordingly the speed of the individual conveying elements can be reduced from conveying element to conveying element. However, since shrinkage does not usually occur uniformly, it cannot be avoided that the material is subjected to a tensile stress between two drums whereas between two other drums the material may be shoved or pushed. Shoving is, in many cases, also undesirable because it causes a tangling of the individual fibers.

In order to guide the material tensionless, a device is known in which sieve drums subjected to a suction draft are used as conveying elements on which the sliver or hank-type material is laid in zig-zag folds or in radial folds so that the material can freely shrink during drying. In the case of such a material feed, the material cannot dry as uniformly as in an extended condition.

In order to enable a certain material shrinkage during the treatment in an extended condition, a slipping clutch is provided in another known device between drive and the appertaining drum or roller. If, owing to the shrinkage tensions, a predetermined moment of rotation is exceeded, the slipping clutch becomes effective and a certain compensation is achieved.

In that case, however, it is not possible to fall or drop below a certain moment of rotation which is to be and should be transferred so that the material is always subjected to tensile stress. By means of the slipping clutch it is only made possible that the tensions do not exceed a certain limit so that breaking of the material is avoided.

In another known device, one free-wheeling means each is provided between a respective drive and conveying element which free-wheeling means enables a drawing of the preceding conveying element in the case of a higher degree of shrinkage than had been estimated. However, also by this measure tensionless guidance of the material is not obtained because, especially in the case of sieve drums subjected to a suction draft, considerable frictional forces caused by the sealing strips occur with the individual bodies of rotation. Owing to these frictional forces and owing to the varying length changes of the individual materials it has up to now not been possible to construct a device in which the material can be treated with a certain tension as well as free from tension.

The present invention has as its object to provide a device in which the material can be optionally treated with a certain tension as well as free from tension.

In accordance with the present invention this task is solved in a simple way with a device of the kind described in the beginning by providing a means between the drive and the body of rotation, e.g., a drum or a roller, which means preferably transfers the moment of rotation and which indicates a deviation from a predetermined nominal moment of rotation. With the device according to the present invention it is now possible to choose the nominal moment of rotation according to the idling moment of rotation which prevails with tensionless treatment.

A deviation from that moment of rotation is indicated by the device according to the present invention and the number of revolutions can be adjusted until the nominal moment of rotation is obtained which, at the same time, means tensionless guidance of the material.

In a further embodiment of the present invention it is suggested that an element of force transfer, preferably the pinion of the drive shaft or a gear wheel connected therebetween, is supported swivelly or pivotally within certain limits on the appertaining shaft in correspondence with a resilient force accumulator, preferably one or several springs, and that the relative motion between shaft and element of force transfer is visible by means of an indicating system.

In one advantageous embodiment of the present invention the element of force transfer of the drum driving shaft, which in general is a gear wheel, is supported on a sleeve. The sleeve surrounds the driving shaft and can be rotated relative to the driving shaft to a certain limited extent. The sleeve and the drive shaft are connected, preferably, outside the gear box, with the device provided with the accumulator and indicating system. That device transfers the moment of rotation from the sleeve to the drum driving shaft and indicates the relative motion between sleeve and drum driving shaft. The device which is connected there-between may consist of a lever fastened to the sleeve, preferably a double-armed lever, which supports an accumulator, for example, one and/or two compression springs, and of a lever fastened to the drum driving shaft which presses against the free end and/or the free ends of the accumulator, for example, the compression springs. In order to make it possible to change the nominal moment of rotation, the compression springs are adjustably supported in the legs of the double-armed lever. If tensionless treatment is desired, the springs are compressed and/or relaxed during idling until the indications of the indicating device coincide.

If that moment of rotation is exceeded or if it falls below, the respective spring is compressed and thus the in dicating device is adjusted.

For purposes of appropriate indication, the lever on the sleeve and the lever on the drum driving shaft may be provided, according to another object of the present invention, with markings which are correlated to each other and which, by coincidence, indicate the nominal moment of rotation or by a deviation show a higher or lower moment of rotation in a simple way. In many cases it may, however, be of advantage if the markings of at least one lever are provided on a disk which is adjustable.

These and further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more obvious from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, which shows, for purposes of illustration only, one embodiment in accordance with the present invention, and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is an axial cross section of a gear with the indication device for the moment of rotation according to the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a lateral elevational view of the gear according to FIGURE 1 with the indication device for the moment of rotation partially shown in cross section; and

FIGURE 3 shows a complete unit or plant in which the gear shown in FIGURES 1 and 2 is used.

Referring now to the drawing wherein like reference numerals are used throughout the two views to designate like parts, there is accommodated within a conventional gear box 1 for an infinitely variable gear of any conventional known construction (not shown) a worm shaft 2 with worm 3 which is connected with the variable gear. A gear wheel 4 meshes with the worm 3. The gear wheel 4 is supported on a sleeve 5 which is rotatably mounted on a driving shaft 6 for a sieve drum or a roller or the like of conventional construction (not shown). One end of the sleeve 5 and one end of the driving shaft 6 project out of the gear box 1. A double-armed lever 7 is mounted on the free end of the sleeve 5 projecting out of the gear box 1. At the ends of lever 7 bores are provided into which are placed sleeves 8 which in turn support a compression spring 9. The outer ends of the sleeves 8 are closed and provided with an adjusting screw 10 by means of which the springs 9 can be compressed or relaxed. A simple lever 11 is fastened to the outer end of the driving shaft 6 projecting out of the gear box 1 which lever 11 is connected with the two inner ends of the compression springs 9.

The compression springs 9 are designed in such a way that they can transfer a predetermined nominal moment of rotation which, in general, corresponds to the idling moment of rotation. With this device the force transfer is thus effected from the driving shaft 2 by way of the worm 3 to the gear wheel 4 and from the gear wheel 4 to the sleeve 5 and to the levers 7, from there, depending on the sense of rotation, by way of one of the compression springs 9 to the lever 11 which transfers the moment of rotation to the driving shaft 6. In the case of changes of the moment of rotation a relative motion occurs between sleeve 5 of the driving shaft 6 and the parts 7 and 11 connected with sleeve and driving shaft which motion is caused by the tensioning or relaxation of the loaded compression spring 9.

In order to make this relative motion visible, marking lines 12 and 13 are provided on the levers 7 and 11 in this embodiment of the invention. Instead of providing the lever 11 directly with the marking 12, an adjustable disk with the marking 12 may be correlated to the lever 11 which disk makes possible a readjustment of the position of the marking 12. By turning a screw 10 the spring action 9 can be chosen in such a way that the markings 12 and 13 coincide for the idling moment of rotation which simultaneously corresponds to the moment of rotation in the case of tensionless treatment. Instead of a marking line 13 also a complete dial may be provided which indicates the value of the deviation of the moment of rotation.

Before feeding the treatment device with the material to be treated, the compression springs 9 are adjusted so that the markings 12 and 13 coincide while the treatment device is running.

If the material to be treated is fed into the device, the moment of rotation will deviate from the predetermined idling moment of rotation in the case of length changes, especially in the case of shrinkage, of the material to be treated which deviation becomes visible by the displacement of the markings 12 and 13. The infinitely variable gear will now be adjusted-the number of revolutions will be reduced or increased depending on the deviation of the marking'until the two markings 12 and 13 coincide again. This adjustment must be made for each drum which shows a deviation by means of the device according to the present invention. By this adjustment one can make sure that the material is treated tensionless.

The device shown is only one embodiment of the invention. The present invention is, however, by no means restricted to that embodiment. Any other embodiment or modified construction is possible, for example, the provision of a torsional stress measuring instrument. However, such instruments are much more expensive than the illustrated embodiment of the present invention.

While I have shown and described only one embodiment in accordance with the present invention, it is understood that the same is not limited thereto, but is susceptible of numerous changes and modifications as known to a person skilled in the art, and I therefore do not wish to be limited to the details shown and described herein but intend to cover all such changes and modifications as are encompassed by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A device for transferring a moment of rotation which comprises a gear box containing a drive shaft, sleeve means coaxially disposed around at least a portion of said drive shaft and rotatable to a limited extent relative thereto, a force transmitting means secured to the sleeve means and a resilient force accumulator means secured to the sleeve means, said sleeve means transmitting the force from the force-transmitting means to the resilient force accumulator means, and lever means secured at one of its end portions to the drive shaft and communicating with the resilient force accumulator means at its other end portion, said resilient force accumulator means transmitting the force to the drive shaft via said lever means.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein at least one end of the drive shaft and sleeve project out of the gear box,

said resilient force accumulator means being mounted on the free end of the projecting sleeve portion.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the lever means is mounted on the free end of the projecting drive shaft portion.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the resilient force accumulator means comprises a double-armed lever means associated with a means which provides resilient communication between said lever means and each arm of said double-armed lever means.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein means are provided for adjusting the compression of said resilient means on the double-armed lever means for setting the nominal moment of rotation to be transferred.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the force transmitting means comprises a gear wheel means secured to the sleeve means, said gear wheel means engaging a worm shaft which extends out of the gear box.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein indicating means are provided on the resilient force accumulator and the lever means, said indicating means rendering visible the relative motion between the force-transmitting means and the drive shaft.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the indicating means includes markings indicating the relative position of said drive shaft and of said force-transmitting means, the coincidence of said markings corresponding to said nominal moment of rotation.

9. The device of claim 8, further comprising means for adjusting at least the markings of one of the two elements consisting of said shaft and said force-transmitting element.

10. An apparatus for conveying textile materials under tension or tensionless comprising rotating conveying means disposed one behind the other, drive means for driving said rotating conveying means, and aconnecting means operatively connected between said conveying means and the drive means for transferring the moment of rotation from said drive means to the conveying means, said connecting means comprising the device of claim 1.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein indicating means are provided on the resilient force accumulator and the lever means, said indicating means rendering visible the relative motion between the force-transmitting means and the drive shaft.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the indicating means are markings which show the position of the drive shaft and the force transmitting means relative to each other.

13. A device for transferring a moment of rotation which comprises a gear box containing a drive shaft which extends therethrough, sleeve means coaxially disposed around at least a portion of said drive shaft and rotatable to a limited extent relative thereto, a forcetransmitting means secured to the sleeve means and a first double-armed lever means secured to the sleeve means, said sleeve means transmitting the force from the force-transmitting means to the double-armed lever means, and second lever means secured at one of its end portions to the drive shaft and resiliently communicating with both arms of the double-armed lever means at its other end portion, said double-armed lever means transmitting the force to the drive shaft via said second lever means.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein said resilient communication is provided by adjustable spring means.

15. The device of claim 13, wherein said resilient communication is provided by adjustable torsion rod means.

16. The device of claim 13, wherein the first doublearmed lever means and the second lever means are secured to the sleeve and drive shaft respectively, outside of the gear box.

17. An apparatus for conveying textile materials under tension or tensionless comprising rotating conveying means disposed one behind the other, drive means for driving said rotating conveying means, and a connecting means operatively connected between said conveying means and the drive means for transferring the moment of rotation from said drive means to the conveying means, said connecting means comprising the device of claim 13.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein indicating means are provided on the resilient force accumulator and the lever means, said indicating means rendering visible the relative motion between the force-transmitting means and the drive shaft.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the indicating means are markings which show the position of the drive shaft and the force transmitting means relative to each other.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 791,329 5/1905 Dodge 6427 917,524 4/1909 Bateman et al. 64-27 946,953 1/1910 Benoist 6427 1,974,871 9/1934 Lansing 64-27 2,249,831 7/1941 How 6427 3,241,386 3/1966 Booth 74396 0 FRED C. MATTERN, .TR., Primary Examiner.

LEONARD H. GERIN, Assistant Examiner. 

